Slowly, he shrugged out of his jacket and draped it on his chair, drawing the chair out to sit, his movements controlled and with a hint of something…violent.
Her breath caught, and she filled their plates.
“I like your hair down,” he rumbled, reaching for his napkin.
“Yet I kept it up,” she said primly. They were on even footing. This was casual, and apparently they both needed a quick reminder. Sitting back, she took a deep drink of the potent brew, almost humming when it warmed her stomach.
He lifted his chin, amusement partially banishing the irritation in his eyes. “Have I done something to piss you off?”
Her gaze dropped to the food. “No.” She wasn’t being fair. Her law firm had hired him as a private investigator on a case, and one night after going through files together and drinking way too much beer, they’d ended up in bed for the most fantastic night of her life. He’d made it clear it was just temporary, they were just casual, and she’d agreed with her eyes wide open, meeting up whenever he was back in town. “You haven’t done anything.”
“Then why won’t you tell me who hurt you?”
She sighed, her gaze meeting his. “Because that’s not what we have.”
“Oh?” One eyebrow drew up. “What do we have?”
She snorted and then caught herself, embarrassed. “We have this.” She gestured toward the food. “And sex. That’s all. Food and sex.” He’d never proclaimed to be a knight in shining armor, especially hers, so why all the questions? “My everyday life doesn’t include you. You’re a fantasy who shows up periodically for fun, and then you’re gone. Stop acting like you’re more.”
If the words affected him in any way, he didn’t show it. Instead, he reached for his wine, his gaze holding hers like a lion watching a doe, and drank down the entire glass. Setting it aside, he tossed his napkin on the table. “Are you hungry?”
“Not even a little bit.” She was more out of sorts than she’d thought.
“Good.” He pushed back from the table, stood, and moved toward her. “This is a conversation better had where I can touch you.” Dipping his shoulder, he lifted her in corded arms.
She yelped and grabbed his chest for balance. “What are you doing?” she whispered. How was he so strong? Even for a healthy guy who worked out, his strength was somehow beyond the norm. Fluid and natural.
He turned, grabbed his jacket, and strode for the living room, dropping onto her couch and setting those thick boots on her glass coffee table. The jacket had landed next to him. One arm remained beneath her knees and the other around her shoulders, easily cradling her against his rock-hard chest. His lips snapped over her jugular with just enough force to make her jump.
Then, clearly indulging himself, he tugged the clip from her hair, which cascaded down. Burying his face in the mass of dark curls, he breathed in. “I love your hair.”
She tried to perch primly on his lap and not snuggle right into him. His strength was as much of a draw as his passion. “What conversation did you want to have?”
He leaned back and waited until she’d turned her head to face him. “We agreed to keep this casual.”
“I know.” She played with a loose thread on his dark T-shirt.
“Then you started cooking me dinner.”
She blinked. “I like to cook.”
“Then you started keeping my beer on hand and lighting candles with every meal.”
She shrugged. “Candles create nice light that helps with digestion.” Could she sound like any more of a dork?
“Right.” He played idly with her hair, heat from his body keeping her toasty warm.
Flutters awakened again throughout her body, and her nipples hardened. Good thing the bright red bra had plenty of padding. She tried to shift her weight, not surprised when he kept her easily in place. “I have not asked you for anything,” she murmured, panic beginning to take hold.
“I like that about you.” He punctuated the words with a tug on her hair. “In fact, I like you.”
“I like you, too.” The words went unsaid, but that’s all they had, and that’s all they were. It was an adventure, and she was truly enjoying the ride. She knew where they stood. “Stop playing with me.”
“I’m not playing.” His gaze dropped to her lips right before he leaned in to rest his mouth over hers.
Liquid fire shot from her chest to her sex.
He nibbled on her bottom lip, kissed the corners of her mouth, lightly whispering against her. “This is playing.” The hand in her hair twisted, drawing back her head and elongating her neck. “This is not.” He swooped in, angled his mouth over hers, and took. Deep and hard, he kissed her, his mouth alone having enough power to drive her head back against his palm.
Hunger slammed through her, and she moaned low in her throat. Pleasure swamped her, head to toe, vibrating in waves as she kissed him back. Her nails dug into his chest, and she tried to move closer into him. He controlled the kiss, taking her deeper, his erection easily discernible beneath her butt.
Finally, he lifted his head, his eyes the color of a rocky riverbed beneath a stormy sky. “Who hit you?”
The simple words struck like a splash of cold water in the face. Shock dropped her mouth open. Had he been trying to manipulate her by kissing her like that? Sure, he’d been passionate with her many times, but something felt different. A wildness she’d always sensed in him seemed to be breaking free. “Forget you.” Slamming her hand against his chest, she shoved off his lap.
“Zara.” One word, perfectly controlled. He held up a hand, showing a long scar across his love line. One that he’d never explained, even when she’d asked nicely.
Her knees shook, but she backed away until her shoulders hit the fireplace mantel. Anger and panic welled up in her, and she couldn’t separate them and think, so she just spoke. “Unless we’re eating or screwing, my life is none of your business.” She was trying hard to keep her sanity and so did not need mixed signals from him. He didn’t get to act like he really cared—not that way. “Got it?”
He stood, towering over her even from several feet away. “That may be true, but no way am I going to let anybody harm the woman I’m fuckin’.”
Fuckin’. Yeah, that’s exactly what they were doing. She was so out of her depth, she’d lost sight of the shore miles ago. “Stay in your own compartment, Ryker. My business is my own, and you’re not to get involved.”
For the first time, anger sizzled across his features. “Be careful what you say, little girl. I’ll make you eat those words.”
She blinked. Sure, he’d been commanding in bed…a lot. But outside the bedroom, she’d never seen this side of him. “Don’t threaten me.”
“Then don’t be obtuse. If you think I’m going to allow a man who hit you to keep walking, you’ve lost your damn mind.” He put both hands on his fit hips, looking like a pissed-off warrior about to bellow a battle cry. “We may be casual, but even I have limits. A woman who cries on my shoulder after watching a stupid movie with dogs is someone who should never be harmed.”
She gasped. “It wasn’t stupid.” It was sad when Juniper had died, darn it.
“Yeah. It was one of the dumbest movies ever made, and you turned into my shoulder to cry it out.” He took a step toward her. “You don’t want to mess with me on this. Trust me. Just give me the name, and tell me what’s going on.” Another step.
She couldn’t back up any more or she’d be in the fireplace. So she held out a hand. Panic cramped her stomach, and she sucked in air and tried for anger. There it was. “I created a situation, there was an issue, and I’ve taken care of it.” The truth would change his opinion of her, and she kind of enjoyed the view from the pedestal he temporarily had her on.
“No way did you create any situation that resulted in violence.” The tone was almost mocking.
“That’s it. You don’t know me.” Her chin lifted.
Something too dark to be amusement lifted his lips. “Oh, don
’t I?”
“No, you don’t.” Steam should be coming out of her ears. She reached down and plucked a high heel off. It was time to stop pretending to be somebody she just was not. “I don’t like these, and I sure as shit don’t walk around at work in them.” Her tone was two octaves higher than normal, and she couldn’t help it. Angling back, she threw the shoe at his head.
With lightning-quick reflexes, he grabbed the strap before the shoe took out his eye. “Zara.” The tone was low and controlled…like always.
“You wouldn’t like the real me.” She kicked off the other shoe, her mind buzzing and her temper flying free. Reaching under her skirt, she yanked off the G-string underwear that had been shoved up her butt, her legs wobbling when she pulled them down and over her feet. “Nobody likes these.” She flung it at his head. “I only wear them for you.”
He snatched the flimsy material with one finger, his cheek creasing.
She fought the urge to stomp her foot and look like an idiot. He wasn’t getting it. “I don’t even know where you live,” she yelled.
His phone buzzed, and he held up a hand. “Put the tantrum on hold, just for a second.” Drawing the phone out, he read the screen. Both his eyebrows drew down, and he lifted the phone to his ear. “We’ve had movement?” Then he held still. His jaw hardened even more. “Damn it. Okay, I’m going.” He paused, and his eyes darkened. “Because you just got shot. It’s my turn to go, and I’ll be right there.” He shoved his phone back into his pocket.
Her breath heated. “Who got shot?”
“My brother.”
Ryker had a brother?
He took several steps forward to grasp her neck.
She stilled. He’d never grabbed her neck before. Sure, his hold was gentle, but his hand was wrapped around her neck. “What are you doing?” she squeaked.
He leaned in, pressing just enough to show his strength. “I know you don’t wear shoes like that at work, and I know the underwear set is just for me. I like that.” He pressed a hard kiss to her mouth before drawing away. “I have to go, or I’d stay until we reached an agreement tonight. That bruise on your face offends me, and I’m done coddling you about it. You’ve got until tomorrow morning to give me the name of the guy who hit you, so I can have a conversation with him.”
Ryker released her to grab his jacket and stride for the front door.
“Or what?” she asked, her voice trembling.
He opened the door and paused, looking back at her. “Or I’ll find him myself and take him out for good.” He yanked on his jacket, looking exactly like the badass rambling man he was. “And Zara? About where I live?”
“Yeah?”
“I moved permanently to Cisco a week ago.”
Praise for
Rebecca Zanetti’s Novels
Lethal Lies
“Top Pick! 4½ stars! A true thriller that will keep readers frantically flipping the pages as death and danger come at the protagonists from several directions. Zanetti’s brilliance at storytelling is on full display as she deftly explores the current hunt for a serial killer while weaving in the unending danger shadowing the hero. When it comes to high-octane thrillers, they don’t get better than Zanetti!”
—RT Book Reviews
“Starts out explosively and continues in the same vein to the very end…Suspense-filled, action packed, with a romance that has just the right amount of steam.”
—FreshFiction.com
“One of those very few authors who I just adore every single book they write…another amazing book in a long line of amazing romantic suspense books.”
—Ramblings from a
Chaotic Mind (nikkibrandyberry.wordpress.com)
“A thrilling, action-packed suspense that will draw readers in from the first page.”
—Harlequinjunkie.com
“Rebecca Zanetti is a master at weaving thrilling stories full of suspense, romance and mystery. When you begin her books, be prepared to get caught up in a sexy romantic suspense with an incredibly developed storyline.”
—OhMyShelves.com
Deadly Silence
“Zanetti balances the adventure and menace of Zara and Ryker’s lives with a relatable romance. The result is a story that’s sexy and emotional, and filled with a rich look at love in all its forms.”
—Washington Post
“Top pick! 4½ stars! Emotionally charged and sexy action-packed thriller. It doesn’t get better than this!”
—RT Book Reviews
“Rebecca Zanetti has done it again. Not only has she written a novel the reader won’t be able to put down, but she also introduced new characters with the same intensity and passion as in her previous works…One of the best [books] I’ve read this season…an exciting and fast read.”
—FreshFiction.com
“Budget your time, readers, because this is one that’s hard to put down.”
—HeroesandHeartbreakers.com
Total Surrender
“Top Pick! 4½ stars! Bravo and thanks to Zanetti for providing stellar entertainment!”
—RT Book Reviews
“Total Surrender is action packed, thrilling, and heart-stopping romantic suspense at its best.”
—Harlequinjunkie.com
“Total Surrender is in a word…WOW!”
—FreshFiction.com
“Brava on a book (and a series) beautifully imagined and artfully delivered!”
—GraveTells.com
Blind Faith
“Fast paced, suspenseful…an action-packed journey!…This is a unique, intriguing series and Blind Faith is another book you won’t be able to put down.”
—HarlequinJunkie.com
“I loved the writing. I loved the plot…Zanetti is one hell of a writer.”
—Melimel.Booklikes.com
“Top Pick! 4½ stars! Hang on as Zanetti whisks you into a world of danger, passion and treachery!”
—RT Book Reviews
“A great installment in the series. Everything was upped; the tension, the stakes, the angst, the romance, and of course the shrinking timeline for the Dean brothers’ chance at survival…I give Blind Faith an A.”
—TheBookPushers.com
“This book totally rocked. It had me at the edge of my seat and I was totally engrossed in it from beginning to end.”
—GuiltyPleasuresBookReviews.com
Sweet Revenge
“4½ stars! Top Pick! Intense and thrilling…Filled with twists and turns and a heaping dose of adrenaline, Zanetti takes readers on a ride they won’t soon forget!”
—RT Book Reviews
“Kudos to Ms. Zanetti on another fine Sins Brothers installment, definitely a series to watch!”
—GraveTells.com
“Sweet Revenge is like a locomotive barreling at you at full throttle! With amazingly well-developed characters, the romantic tension, and a plot so full of subplots, this escape from reality is one of those books that you keep saying just one more page…just one more page…until it’s 3 a.m. and there are no more pages left!”
—TomeTender.blogspot.com
“The magic Zanetti creates when she puts pen to paper results in my kinda romance. The basis of the Sins Brothers series is one that captivates the reader; it’s fresh, unique, and I absolutely love it!”
—KTBookReviews.blogspot.com
Forgotten Sins
“4½ stars! Top Pick! The rich world of romantic suspense gets even better with the first in Zanetti’s tremendous new paranormal-edged series…[A] rapidly paced, clever thriller…Zanetti pulls together a heady mix of sexy sizzle, emotional punch, and high-stakes danger in this truly outstanding tale. Brava!”
—RT Book Reviews
“Lord, I loved this book. From the first page to the last, this one left me trying to catch my breath after each action-packed page…Zanetti will always be a fixture on this reader’s bookshelf!”
—Ramblings from a Chaotic Mind
(nikkibrandyberry.wordpress.c
om)
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